NauticalNeophyte

Thanks again everyone! I’m getting more excited by the day.  

Yes I’ve heard some good things about the musicians on the Liberty.  It seems like a slightly larger version of the Triumph, so I should be able to navigate with ease.  I’m going to enjoy as much live music as possible and enjoy those burgers! 

Thanks @Aplmac! Did I mention the specialist we called changed us from 3 interiors to 3 balconies side by side?  And hopefully the May 20th cruise will be less crowded than the March 3rd (i.e. spring break). 

I guess I got myself so worked up over the Sunshine since it had more amenities than the Triumph, but I know we’ll still have a good time.  I just pray for good weather!

I’m feeling better already! Thanks again! 

Long story short, our family vacation for 14 people (ages 60, 41, 40, 38, 38, 23, 21, 20, 20,18, 17, 16, 9, & 7) got changed due to my niece’s school schedule (college freshman) which caused some of the other kids to not want to go.  I mean what’s the point in taking a family vacation if the whole family can’t go?  We are changing from a 5-day on the Sunshine in March sailing to Amber Cove and Grand Turk to a 4-day on the Liberty on May 20th sailing to Nassau and Freeport.  Only 3 of us have sailed to Cancun, so not much experience in cruising.

I would rather have gone to Grand Turk as I’ve always wanted to go to T&C, I’d rather have five days, and I know the Sunshine has more amenities for the kids like the sportsquare, water park, etc. The one benefit is if they don’t like it, we have fewer days to entertain them.  But it is what it is and we plan to enjoy ourselves anyway.  My nephew says any vacation is a good vacation and I’m going to have a great time.

I said all that to say does anyone have any tips, tricks or positive vibes about the Liberty?  Did you enjoy her?  That itinerary? Anyone sailed her with family?  What’s done is done, but I just want to hear some good things about Liberty.  

I’m convinced. Now to get the rest of the party on board. Thanks everyone.

I went to the presentation too. Some of the info on alkalinity was interesting, though I’d learned it all in college. Save yourself the time and the money. You’re better of consulting with a nutritionist on your own. You can get those Elemis supplements from Amazon and alkaline water for $2 at Walmart. It was a good way to kill a rainy afternoon, but the main goal is to sell products, not improve your health.

Personally I hate any sales pitch that is not advertised as such. Just say you want to sell something.

I’ll be getting off as you board Heimey. Haven’t decided on FTTF yet, but considering it just to have time to tour the ship.

After some recommendations from friends we have this tour booked through Carnival as well. According to them depending on the size of the group either a mini bus or minvans are provided for transport to the park, with the minivans running back to the dock area several times in the afternoon.

The next thing they pointed out was the food and all local/traditional drinks from the restaurant near the entrance is included and unlimited (this is what caught DH's interest). As for the sea lion show (I know you're not interested in it but others reading might be) it was the direct educational interaction with the marine mammals not just a sit and watch them do tricks show, along with a chance to visit the manatee rehab enclosure. The part that I like there is supposed to be a semi-private guided tour of the tequila distillation attraction, with samples. Apparently the cruise ship tours also have some of the palapas and hammocks reserved for use by their patrons, not enough for all at the same time, but enough that everyone should get a chance to utilize one of each for at least 30 minutes. We're not big beach people, to us it's just a place you need to cross and leave your towels on to get in the water, so the loungers are of no interest to us. Hubby does not like to go underwater for any length of time so we only plan on using their goggles and maybe the flippers to view the underwater life and statues from the surface. So to us it sounds like the only things we would need to pay a la carte for, if we choose to, are the zip line, massage services, the dolphin interactions, shopping, and on beach bar service.

Hopefully you'll get to see Luna and her twerking and back flips in the sea lion show. She’s a real ham.

1. I did this excursion in May. The guide basically explained the layout of the park, gave the time for the sea lion show, and offered the tequila tasting. I think you have to meet with him at a certain time for the tasting. Other than that you can do it on your own. The beach by the big colorful Cozumel sign isn’t accessible, but it’s a nice place to sit and relax. We walked the mock ruins which was cool, and tasted the homemade tortillas We didn’t try to make it to the other exhibits in the back of the park. It got too hot.

2. We didn’t snorkel, so no help there. I saw a large group who did and they seemed to enjoy it. I guess it depends on the size of the crowd.

3. You can skip the sea lion show, although it was pretty quick and really entertaining. I took the picture with the sea lion kissing me. It was worth it, and the best part of the day IMO but I get it’s not your thing. If you do go, go early so you get a shadey seat.

4. The park arranged cabs to bring us over. Each tour guide got a minivan to bring us to the park. It’s really close to the port. Two maybe three turns. I think the cab ride was maybeten minutes. We were also told by we could leave at anytime at the end of the day. Closer to the departure time the tour guides were waiting by the exit to hail cabs. We left maybe 30 minutes early. Be prepared for the merchants in the shops by the exit trying to sale their goods. Although one gift shop there had the best t-shirt prices. Much cheaper than the port.

Honestly, because it’s so close and the tour guides provide little in the way of structure, if I went back I would book it on my own. You’re catching a cab anyway, and I promise you that you’ll have no problem getting a cab back to the port in time for a small tip. I don’t even know if the ladies we rode back with were on the ship excursion or not. It’s a straight shot down the highway, and I never felt unsafe. You could save a lot of money. Also, try to get an ealy snorkel time and get to the buffet before the dolphin swim lets out to beat the crowd. It got crazy quickly, but the food was good.

The D.R. turned out to be my favorite port a few weeks ago after what I expected would be our least favorite. We loved the scenery pulling into Amber Cove. Reminded us a lot of the Smoky Mountains, and we love vacationing there. I'm not the type of guy who's into sitting around a pool, especially when we're vacationing on a tropical island (we can sit around a pool anywhere). But I will say that the pool area is pretty impressive and looks nice. We didn't spend time there, but went and checked it out after we got back from our "adventure." If we went back, and we do want to go back, I can see us hanging out there, at least for a little while.

 

We took a taxi to the Teleferico (cable car) that takes you to the top of Mt. Isabel de Torres and we had a great time. There's trails through the forest and gardens up there and the scenery is beautiful. If you'd like a little more info. about it, I wrote a detailed description of our experience and posted some pictures in this thread: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2624461 :)

Thanks for that review. We may try the cable car.

Yes the photos don't lie. The Atlantic Ocean inlet water is ugly on the pier side. There is also no beach on the pier side. There is a small beach with some white sand on the very tip of the opposite arm of the inlet. We saw several ATV excursions stop there briefly from our Horizon balcony since we chose to stay on board and not even disembark in the Carnival manufactured shopping center/pool. Didn't see anyone on an ATV excursion enter the water there though, they didn't have any time to do so. The view away from AC was way better than looking at phony fortress turrets.

 

If you go down to Puerto Plata, the nearest village, the water there is also gray and uninviting. Reminded me of Coney Island in Brooklyn NY. I spent a week in Puerto Plata and regretted it. If you want aqua blue green water and white sand, you need to visit Punta Cana on a land vacation.

If I may ask, is there anything else besodes the water that made you regret Puerto Plata?

Thanks for the info! Well that stinks, but at least it has been confirmed. I guess we’ll use the day to buy souvenirs and relax.

I know this is a cruise manufactured terminal, but it makes me wonder why Carnival would build here other than cheap prices. There doesn’t seem to be much of anything near by, the excursions seem lackluster and the water looks like a flash flood. Surely there are better places to have built a port.

Since this is a first time in the DR and a first cruise for most of our group, we’ll make the best of it. Thanks again.

Is the water at Amber Cove as murky and brown as it looks? I’ve seen pictures with clear and brown water and wondered if anyone could weigh in. Yes, I know there are reviews, but I just want some specifics on what it looks like. Coming from south Louisiana, aka the land of brackish water, I’d hate to see more on my vacation.

Thanks.

Isn't it just - gorgeous! Thanks for reading along :)

 

 

 

It was water resistant, factor 30. Will need to go full waterproof next time (yes, I hope there will be a next time) :D

I’m African American and will only use SPF 70 or above in the Caribbean. The combo of bright sun and clear water is like holding a mirror to your face in the sun. I learned the hard way in Cozumel decades ago :(

Stronger sunscreen and aloe gel next time and you’ll be good! And FYI... there’s a tv channel to pinpoint your location on the map. It’s cool to see.

@pastorfrank, I second “The Jester”. One of James Patterson’s best, along with “Honeymoon”. If that’s your genre, I’d also recommend “Live Wire”, “Six Years”, “Stay Close”, and “Long Lost” by Harlan Coben.

Does anyone know if the balcony rooms have refrigerators?

They didn’t in May.

I’ll be on the Sunshine in March. I have to remember to write a review when I return.

I enjoyed the Triumph though I had nothing to compare it to. The band was good, the CD was fun, any my wait staff and steward were awesome! The biggest plus was we just seemed to have a lot of fun people on board. We met awesome folks fron near home, near where I used to live, and from the midwest. I would definitely sail to Cozumel for Cinco again, and I’d sail the Triumph again.

Brought one of these on in my suitcase that I carried on with no problem. We didn’t fly to the port though.

https://www.amazon.com/Wing-Corkscrew-Wine-Opener-HQY/dp/B01A4IXYC8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1530027094&sr=8-4&keywords=winged+corkscrew+wine+opener

We had late dinig in the forward dining room. The menu was basically what was online if you explore the ship and pull up the main dining room. I didn't take any photos of the menu but I remember a few items since we tried a few different things. For main dishes, the pork chop, chicken breast, baked chicken, and salmon filet were really good. I also had some kind of crab ravioli in a red sauce that I really enjoyed too. If you enjoy seafood the definitely try that. Nothing to rival the restaurants here in south Louisiana, but good. The surf and turf was delicious and worth the $20 IMO. The appetizers were hit or miss. By nite two, I ordered a main dish as an appetizer since the portions weren’t huge. I had the shrimp cocktail twice and the shrimp were too mushy and undercooked for my taste. All the sides I had (baked potato, ratatouille, mac & cheese, creamed spinach) were good but tiny. You may want to get 2 or 3 of those. Desserts were blah! I don’t eat chocolate, the apple pie was meh, amd the strawberry ice cream was too sweet. The fruit plate was good though.

We skipped the MDR the last nite in favor of Pizza Pirate. Premuan was our waiter and he was great though. We also brought our own wine. Hope that helps a little.

Assurance wipes for wiping sweat, sunscreen, and insect repellent off during port days. They dony make you sticky and they’re big enough to get the job done. (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Assurance-Premium-Disposable-Washcloths-96-Ct/42435905). Also bringing my tap light since we’ll be in an interior cabin. It’s lightweight and portable to take to the bathroom during the night. And a fleece throw for chilly, windy days on the lido deck.

Be prepared for limited beach access at Chankanaab. Sea lion show was great though and the food was good. The Comedy shows were funny, but John Wesley Allen’s (?) was quite vulgar, but good. Al Katz’s 18+ show was tame by comparison, and really funny. I don’t know if they still on though.

Pacruiser804 is right about the soft drinks. We had bottomless bubbles and maybe used it twice. It was a hassle since there were no self-service soft drinks and the lemonade was really good. I won’t be purchasing the bubbles package next time.

And I didn’t travel with kids last time, but I saw plenty playing board and card games. If your kids enjoy that, you may want to bring a deck or a favorite game.

I’m addicted to Disney too (and Universal)! I only have 1 cruise under my belt, but I think I learned from some of my mistakes. Here’s what I learned so far. It’s already been said to bring OTC meds, and bring plenty (alka-seltzer, non-drowsy cold meds, non-drowsy allergy meds if you have those issues, anti-diarrea meds, pain reliever, melatonin if anyone has sleep issues, and Dramamine II or a generic equivalent. I used the Walgreen’s brand with no problems, but make sure it’s non-drowsy because regular dramamine isn’t.

1.Those scented diaper sacks in the baby aisle at Wal-Mart are good if you have to store or dispose of anything stinky (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sassy-Baby-Diaper-Sack-50-Ct/40485745).

2.Bring some lysol wipes in a travel pack. It helps to wipe things down while on an excursion.

3. A popup mesh hamper, wrinkle release and a travel bottle of Febreze.

4. In hindsight, I wished I packed wipes like these for our excursion (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ban-Total-Refresh-Cooling-Body-Cloths-Restore-10-Count/704168670) and a travel stick of deodorant. Between the sweat and the deet in the insect repellant, we felt sticky at the end and it would have been nice to wipe all that gunk off our arms, legs and face. TMI I know, but it would have been handy. Facial wipes to would also be a lot easier to transport instead of bars and bottles.

5. Some nice lounge wear like yoga pants and a nice t shirt would have come in handy for an early lido breakfast. Or in case you needed to travel around the ship at odd hours. We ate breakfast at 6 on disembarkation day, then went back to bed. If I had packed an outfit like this I could have slept more comfortably after breakfast and then wore it home.